Zelensky blamed Russia’s waning interest in speaking with Trump on the lessening threat that the U.S. would arm Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles.

“The front line can spark diplomacy. Instead, Russia continues to do everything to weasel out: as soon as the issue of long-range capabilities for Ukraine became less immediate, their interest in diplomacy faded,” Zelensky said. “This signals that deep strike capabilities may hold the key to peace.”

WHY DOES UKRAINE WANT THE US TO SUPPLY IT WITH TOMAHAWKS?

Zelensky visited the U.S. last week, hoping for a deal to exchange American Tomahawks for Ukrainian drones, but he walked away empty-handed after a call between Putin and Trump impeded the momentum. During Trump and Zelensky’s meeting, the U.S. president reportedly voiced support for Ukraine ceding territory in the Donbas region to Russia to end the war.

Trump reportedly told Zelensky that Russia’s invasion was a “special operation, not even a war,” hinting that Moscow could take its gloves off and wage an unrestricted war to an extent not yet seen if Ukraine doesn’t cede the entire Donbas. Russia currently controls about 88% of Donbas.

“If [Putin] wants it, he will destroy you,” Trump was quoted as saying.

Ukraine and its allies staunchly oppose the proposal. However, European allies coordinated support for the ceasefire proposal Trump raised on Sunday. Zelensky, in addition to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and other European leaders, signed on to the plan for an immediate ceasefire.

“We strongly support President Trump’s position that the fighting should stop immediately, and that the current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force,” they said.

European leaders have learned the strategy of pitching their perspective as Trump’s own, even if he doesn’t know it yet. As Trump has tried to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war, the amount of support he has offered Ukraine has fluctuated. European leaders have often been caught between the two presidents and celebrated when Trump voiced full-throated support in September for Ukraine ending the war without relinquishing control of any land.

EUROPEAN LEADERS BACK TO DRAWING BOARD AFTER TRUMP-PUTIN CALL UNDERMINES ZELENSKY’S PROGRESS

Before the bilateral meeting was called off, European leaders sought to portray Russia’s hesitation as deliberate “stalling tactics,” illustrating that “Ukraine is the only party serious about peace.”

The president is likely hoping for a higher threshold of progress to hold a personal meeting with Putin after the Alaska meeting failed to make any breakthroughs. His pro-Ukrainian critics portrayed the event as a propaganda win for Putin and an embarrassment for the U.S., though defenders of the president argued the display of direct dialogue was important for peace efforts.

Trump had cultivated Ukrainian and European hopes for several weeks after the Alaska summit failed to bear fruit, culminating in the president suggesting that Ukraine could go on the offensive and retake its 1991 borders, including Crimea. Hopes reached a fever pitch last week after Trump suggested that he could send advanced, long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine for use against Russia. These hopes were dashed just a day before Zelensky met with Trump to make his case personally, after a friendly call with Putin.

The Russia-Ukraine war has continued at an intensified pace, with Russia’s summer offensive coming to a close. While both sides have suffered astronomical casualties, the pressure on the front line has intensified Ukraine’s manpower problems, while repeated drone and missile strikes have ravaged its infrastructure.